Today on Here and Now

by Laura Ellis on July 21, 2011

Political negotiations over the long-term deficit cutting plan offered by the Gang of Six senators are on again today. So what’s on the chopping block? We dive into the details of proposed changes to programs like Social Security and Medicare, and proposed changes to tax benefits like the mortgage interest deduction which is worth $40 billion to the middle class.

A senior EU official said that fish populations are so depleted that when today’s children are adults, there may be no fish left to eat. Is farm fishing the answer? Farm fishing started in 1970s and it’s grown to the point where 90% of the Atlantic salmon we eat comes from farms. But there are drawbacks: pollution, antibiotic use, and does the fish taste good? We’ll look for the answers.

And we’ll also hear the second part of our series on coal ash, and talk with WFPL’s Erica Peterson about what to expect in part three.